The present invention relates broadly to a locking handle for doors and, in particular, to a locking handle for the doors of vehicles and industrial equipment.
The prior art locking handles typically include lock cylinder mechanisms which are mounted concentric with the axis of rotation of the door handle. These lock cylinder mechanisms rotate to move a member outward into contact with a portion of an escutcheon thereby preventing rotation of the handle. In this type of locking handle, the lock cylinder mechanism generally must be inserted in the locking handle from the exterior of the handle and is therefore subject to removal and picking of the lock. Additionally, the linkage mechanism provided between the lock cylinder and the escutcheon is susceptible to freezing and mechanical breakage problems.
In the prior art lock cylinders also have been mounted off-center with respect to the axis of rotation of the locking handle. These prior art devices are also structured so that the lock cylinder is installed from the exterior of the handle subjecting the lock cylinder to tampering and removal. Additionally, the linkage mechanisms discussed above are included in the off-center prior art locking handles and are subject to the same freezing and breakage problems.
The present invention eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art locking handles in that it is a locking handle having a lock member mounted off-center with respect to the axis of rotation of the locking handle and which is installed from the rear of the locking handle and retained within the handle such that the lock member cannot be removed from the exterior of the handle. Additionally, the lock cylinder itself is provided with a projection that selectively engages an escutcheon to prevent rotation of the locking handle. The present invention, thus, does not require a linkage mechanism between the lock member and the escutcheon and therefore problems associated with linkage mechanisms are eliminated.